Conventional garbage or trash cans are fabricated from metal or synthetic plastic materials and are designed to withstand rough handling. The common practice is to line garbage cans with plastic trash bags when refuse to be collected in the cans is in the form of food waste or other substances which tend to stick to or smear the inner surface of the garbage can. The bag is of sufficient strength so that when filled, it may be tied and then removed from the can and discarded.
Conventional metal or plastic garbage cans are not foldable or collapsible and they occupy a substantial amount of space. The portability and collapsibility of conventional garbage cans is not an issue since they usually remain in one location for the life of the container.
Garbage collection is often required in the outdoors and locations away from the home or where there is regular garbage collection. Campers for example, often need to collect the garbage they produce at their campsite in their own garbage containers. In these circumstances a portable collapsible garbage can that is animal proof is desirable. Campers preferably would like to be able to transport their garbage containers with them to the campsite.
A number of prior art devices have attempted to produce a collapsible portable garbage can, for example: U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,679, Oct. 15, 1991 entitled Refuse Container Assembly by John Lonczak, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,483, Jul. 3, 1984, entitled Collapsible Support for Garbage Bags by Laurat Gagne. These garbage cans although portable and collapsible fail to address the problem of being animal proof and generally sealable so as to prevent odours from being released from the garbage can and/or animals from entering and disturbing the contents of the garbage can. One can appreciate that for campers and outdoors! applications being able to seal the container is an important function of a collapsible portable outdoor refuse garbage can.
Accordingly, there is a need for a garbage can which can be easily transported and moved to an outdoor location where garbage collection is required and which overcomes the prior art's shortcomings. This is particularly useful for campers, picnickers, outdoors men and other activities away from the home. It is also desirable that the container be sealable to prevent odours escaping and animals entering into the garbage can.